Fire Within
by Midnight Ryne
Summary: Sometimes the battle rages inside of us... A Shadow of Existence one shot.


**Fire Within**

**Disclaimer : All Characters belong to Christopher Nolan and DC Comics **

* * *

**A/N: Just a small little one shot my good friend and I wrote for all the fans/readers/followers of Shadow of Existence. A small Christmas gift since I won't be updating this story until after Christmas. I can't thank you guys enough. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas.  
**

* * *

Ras al Ghul had seen and trained many great men throughout the decades of his existence. Some were complete failures while most he would surely call the greatest fighters the world had ever seen, but none were greater than the two who now faced each other on the frozen lake just outside of his fortress. They were both men of immense strength and character...but not without flaws or convictions that had in the past conflicted with his own ideals.

Standing on a rocky outcrop of a broken pillar to the old courtyard, Ras stood tall and impassive, arms crossed, dressed in heavy robes of black and dark green to protect him from the winter chill blanketing the region. He watched as two of his most greatest students sparred on the ice below him in rapid show of speed, strength and dexterity in an effort to gain an advantage over the other.

While it was apparent that Bane was the stronger of the two and the most ruthless, it was threatened by Bruce's tactical mind, speed and athleticism that had only been heightened with his newfound abilities. Ras studied him closely as he watched Bruce expertly dodge one of Bane's swings and executed a perfect roll up to delivering a jumping spin-kick to the mercenary's back.

He looked younger now. In fact, he looked exactly as he did the first time they'd met in that cold and dark solitary cell in a Bhutanese prison. He found with the body and strength of a young man in his early prime but with the cunning and wisdom of a veteran. There was nothing more dangerous than that.

He could not help the satisfied smirk that crossed his lips as he watched the force of Bruce's attack, drive Bane off his feet to the ground. To the mercenary's credit, it barely fazed him as he jumped back up onto his feet, shrugging off the flakes of snow stuck to his pasty wet skin.

"Remember. Your surroundings can be a threat as well as an advantage." He remarked to them both.

Bane huffed as he twirled around and set his gaze of a block of ice formed into the shape of a spike coating the bar of a metal fence. Using brute force, he pried the icy weapon from the ground and pitched it at Bruce as though it were a spear. Bruce barely dodged the weapon, feeling an icy wind rake across his neck where the weapon whizzed past. He broke into a rapid charge towards Bane to continue his onslaught.

It was cold out here, but it did very little to hamper his speed and movement. Closing in on his target, he bared his teeth into a primal snarl as he watched Bane rush out to meet him. They both yelled war cries as they collided head-on with a barrage of fists and kicks. They both stood near an equal height; neither missed their mark as they exchanged brutal punches across the face and waist. Bane's mask protected him from the brunt of Bruce's attack, but it wasn't long until he could feel a vice-like pain gripping his stomach where he'd been struck with an elbow.

Bruce's strength was increasing the longer the fight stretched and his aggression with it. Hits and injuries that should've bruised and subdued him as a normal man were now a passing irritation like an itch needing to be scratched. An ugly itch. It did not mean he was immune to pain however. That much Bane reminded him with as he gripped his neck and began to squeeze the air from his lungs with one hand, while he used the other to repeatedly punch his face. Bruce felt a snap and warm blood creased down towards his upper lip. The pain was disorienting and it provided Bane with the opportunity needed to lift him up high and slam him back first onto the ice, creating a large crack.

"Arghh..." He groaned, eyes tightly shut in pain.

Bane chuckled.

"You still fight with the restraint and convictions of a righteous man... That will lead you to nothing but a cold death, Mr. Wayne." He taunted, circling Bruce with a dominating air. "One has to wonder what, if anything, your mate has seen in you... "

Bruce's eyes snapped open as he felt an intense anger flare inside of him. His fists unconsciously clenched tightly while a murderous growl emanated at the back of his throat. He wanted nothing more right now than to prove Bane wrong by smashing his head against the ice until their was nothing left but an ugly red stain...

"No..." He breathed, closing his eyes and bringing himself to his feet slowing. Despite Bane's taunting, Bruce would not rise to the bait of his manipulations. He squashed his anger, but the battle aggression had not wavered off. Jumping to his feet, he slowly cracked his neck joints back into place, his tongue unconsciously licked the trickle of blood that came onto his upper lip.

Bane watched silently, slightly bemused.

Bruce exhaled loudly, his voice deep and inhuman. His eyes opened and for a moment they flickered from their normal hazel to a piercing harvest gold. Bruce grinned toothily at him as he took his fighting pose and gestured him with a 'come hither' approach. "Is that all you have?"

Bane watched silently, slightly bemused.

Bruce exhaled loudly, his voice deep and inhuman. His eyes opened and for a moment they flickered from their normal hazel to a harvest gold. Bruce grinned toothily at him as he took his fighting pose and gestured to him with a 'come hither' approach. "Is that all you have?"

Bane cracked his knuckles in response, his eyes burning with anger at Bruce's continued resilience.

"I've only just begun." The brute mercenary moved in and resumed his attack, this time looking to use his strength to overpower Bruce and disabled him with a broken or dislocated limb. Whichever was necessary - and most satisfying for him. Despite his strength and his willpower, Bane did not believe Wayne could be as ruthless as him. That would play to his advantage.

As they traded blows across the face and torso, Bane was taken by surprise when Bruce effectively caught his fist and twisted his wrist until he had his arm at his mercy with his waist exposed. Bruce threw thundering kicks to Bane's exposed ribs. The sounds were as loud and cringing as gunshots. Bane felt a shortness of breath and a surge of pain with each one he took. It was a disturbing feeling.

Bane's labored breathing could be heard through his mask and Bruce suddenly felt driven to inflict more damage on his opponent. Bane however would not allow himself to easily manhandled. He wrenched his arm free from Bruce's grip. As Bruce moved in to attack, Bane responded with a hard elbow which Bruce promptly blocked. Bane followed up with a front kick aimed for Bruce's exposed waist that sent him falling backward along the ice. Bane cradled his left side where his twisted arm ached and his ribs throbbed in pain.

Bruce barely register his own pain or discomfort. He could hear his own blood and heartbeat beating wildly in his ears as his aggression continued to build towards an animalistic fury. Seeing Bane still at a disadvantage, Bruce rushed towards him head on to tackle him down. Bane had the move scouted and quickly caught Bruce as he charge into his waist. Both men slid backward along the ice until they stopped and Bane chuckled dryly at his attempt to overpower him. Still holding Bruce in place, Bane kneed him in the chest then threw his right forearm down across his exposed back before finally throwing off to the side.

Bruce slid along the ice and rolled back up to his feet, slightly winded.

* * *

Underneath an archway of snow dusted pines, Selina leaned her aching back against the frozen bark, her alabaster features hidden beneath the shadow of a black hooded cloak as she tried to ease off the waves of nausea that consumed her body when she caught a horrid stench of unkempt gutted pig hanging from ropes over the fire pits.

It made her stomach churn and she sensed behind the sloping branches, covering her chilled red lips with a gloved hand and tore her stony gaze away from the billowing tents, turning her focus of the old Gothic looking courtyard.

She fluttered her curled lashes as snowflakes descending over her rigid body and cradled her slender arms over her stomach will her dark orbs stared at tall chiseled faced man, Ras al Ghul dressed in black garment standing outside the barriers of the sparring ring with his thick arms crossed over his chest.

Taking in a sharp intake of breath, Selina boldly cut across the snow drifts and sauntered over to the stone pillars. She displayed a semblance of curiosity as she clicked her heels on the frozen ground and stood behind the Master of the League of Leagues with a defiant sneered curved on her lips. "Now this is interesting," she purred with a breezily tone in her voice. "I never thought this place would liven up with some entertainment."

Bane softly groaned as he continued to hold his aching ribs. His back facing Bruce, he let his gaze wonder up towards the ruins of the palace courtyard where he could see his mentor watching their session passively. Ras al Ghul was a difficult man to read and Bane would seldom allow himself to try. His green-blue eyes wandered higher where an enchanting sight met his eyes in the form of one Selina Kyle - Bruce's mate.

"Such a lovely sight you would no doubt agree..." Bane monologued though his words were no doubt meant to be jarring to Bruce who raised his head and followed Bane's stare. His stomach sank at the sight of Selina watching their session. "A wild, soaring flame of passion, strength and iniquity within a most tempting shell of lust and beauty..." Bane remarked almost wistfully. "One I would most appreciate in my bedchambers..." His lewd comments struck a cord in Bruce who glared at him fiercely. His hand closed around a concealed object resting behind near the edge of the frozen lake.

"Not an impossible task..." Bane continued, turning away from Selina and focusing again on Bruce. "Once I break you, she'll have no need for a cripple beast." Bane growled and stormed towards Bruce with a newfound determination...equally matched by Bruce. Hand gripping a large rock coating with ice, Bruce waited for the right moment as Bane drew closer, then threw the projectile weapon with all his strength. The ball of ice exploded across Bane's face in a shower of ice, snow and rock. Bane cried in pain, holding his eyes while blood gushed from pricks along face where the ice and rock had pierced him.

"Or I'll just break you..." Bruce growled, his voice deep again.

His blood ran hot and his vision swam red in his burning state of strength and rage. His senses caught the scent of blood and copper and it only fueled his predatory advance on Bane. The mercenary couldn't see, his eyes were caked with water, ice and pieces of rock. Despite his impairment, his ears picked up the sound of a monstrous growl coming directly at him. His blood went cold with realization before he was struck beneath the chin and sent flying high across lake and landing with a thud twenty feet away.

Ras al Ghul watched closely as Bruce began to thrive under the curse, his primal rage fueling him. Sparing Bane no quarter to recover himself, he charged across the ice and leapt high above to deliver a stinging downward fist across his stomach. Bane audibly groaned, his eyes puffing wide with shock as Bruce reached down and seized up by the scruff of his neck. Bruce bashed his fist against Bane's stomach repeatedly then followed up with a crushing headbutt to the side of the head. Bane stumbled backward, dazed and unfocused. Bruce bared his teeth, as he watched him sway on his feet. His tightened fists threatened to grow fur as the beast from within raged to be set fully free to punish his opponent.

The part of Bruce that thrived on his moralities, discipline and self-control struggled to reel the beast back like a wild dog held by a chained collar. His hands began to unconsciously shake and his body trembled. The aggression of battle wouldn't waver, the beast within thrived on it as if it were air needed to breathe. Fist tightened, Bruce delivered another punishing swing across Bane's face and torso. The mercenary made a last ditch effort to fight back by throwing himself at Bruce to choke him. Bruce ducked and threw him off his back and onto the ice behind him.

Bane made to rise, but Bruce dropped his knee across his chest to keep him in place. "Rrrrrr..." Bruce breathed loudly, a drip of drool escaped his mouth through his bared teeth. He glared down menacingly at his defeated opponent, feeling the triumph of victory close to him. He looked vulnerable...accepting...

"Do it..." Bane spoke softly. "Finish me..."

Bruce raised his fist high above. Bane made no move to stop him.

"Enough!" Ras' voice came down across the lake.

Bruce's only response was a snarl of refusal. His eyes were large and malicious. All it would take was one precise hit to Bane's mask to-

"Bruce!" Selina yelled, racing forward to the sparring ring of frozen ice, she slipped slightly but still maintained balance on the balls of her feet as she listened to the deafening snarls escaping through Bruce's scowling lips. She lunged in front of him, and placed her gloved hand on his seething chest.

" Enough!" she growled, with laced animalitic fury. She glared up at him with a stony gaze of molten pools of coffee. "You won the fight. There's no need for further bloodbath." She crossed her arms over her chest and dropped her mouth open for a moment giving him a steely look as her fingers caressed over his blood stained jaw line, feeling the heat seep through the leather of her gloves. "Come on handsome, let's go cool off."

Selina recoiled from him and winced slightly, feeling tension build in her waist as her stomach whirled with acid . She clamped her hand over her chilled lips, trying to ease the urge to vomit.

Selina's voice was like an anchor keeping him afloat. Bruce closed his eyes tightly and fought against the the storm raging inside of him. It felt so natural, so right...so free. All he wanted to do was let it overcome him and carry him to great and powerful heights... Opening his eyes he winced at the sight of blood - Bane's blood - on his hands. "At what cost?" The thought fell over him like a cold bucket of water. "At the cost of who I truly am..."

He couldn't do this... He would not do this.

His ears picked up the sounds of Selina's groan of discomfort. He whipped his face in her direction and blanched at the right of her leaning over, cradling her stomach, looking ill... "Selina?" His tone was hoarse, almost breathless.

"Finish me..." Bane's voice called, firmer this time to draw him back into the storm.

Bruce growled as he relaxed his hovering fist and exhaled shakily. He looked directly into Bane's eyes. "No..." He climbed off the mercenary and back onto his feet. "This is over..." He turned and walked away without looking back. Bane remained on the ice, staring blankly up at the sky as Bruce wandered over towards Selina to check her condition. Ras al Ghul slowly made his way down to the ice, his expression unreadable.

"Selina? Are you all right?" Bruce stood next to her, supporting her on her feet.

"It's nothing. Nothing that you need to get all worried about, handsome." she replied with a firm voice, keeping her body rigid as she lifted her dark eyes and stared on the blood painted on his sweaty chin. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It's nothing. Nothing that you need to get all worried about, handsome." she replied with a firm voice, keeping her body rigid as she lifted her dark eyes and stared on the blood painted on his sweaty chin. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I'm all right..." Bruce shrugged off. A tense silence followed before Bruce hung his head. "Nearly got carried away...Wanted to."

"But you didn't. In the end, that is what counts." Ras' voice came up behind them. Bruce turned to face his mentor, chin raised high. "With each fight you find yourself in, the beast will always attempt to break free and impose its will on you..." He said knowingly. "And with each fight you learn how to better control it, and use its power to fulfill your own ends..." He looked between Bruce and Selina. "For good or ill."

Selina clenched her jaw tightly, "He's not going to be your mutt to train, old man." she snarled, her defenses rising inside her veins. "He's a human and should be respected as one instead of tamed dog you're molding him into." She tore her molted chasms of coffee away and focused on a sloped evergreen across from them. "If you boys don't mind I'm going for a walk."

Bruce nodded and watched as she wandered away.

"Spirited woman...Misinformed, but spirited." Ras remarked. "True love can be a source of great strength...or great weakness, Bruce. You of all people should know that."

"I do." Bruce spoke flatly. "And I don't need a lecture about it."

Ras nodded, a small smirk curling at the edge of his lips. "Then I can only advice that you be wary... Nothing is more dangerous than a wounded animal." The Head of the Assassins turned and strode away, heading back towards the ruins where Bane awaited him. Bruce stood watching after them, thoughtful of his words as he solemnly stared at the blood on his hands. The disturbing thought did not escape him; what kind of animal would he become if the ones he loved most were taken from him?

* * *

Selina leaned her back against the frozen bark of a spruce pine, barely feeling the cold flakes of snow caress over her pale cheeks as she parted her lips slightly and a fog of crystallized breath blew out in front of her. She gently stroked her gloved fingers over her waist, trying to ease off the tension of nausea with a light touch of warm seeping out of her body. Hot tears were starting to well inside her dark eyes as she lifted her gaze and stared up at the slat grey clouds and fluttering her lashes as airy fragment of snow descended on her frozen curvatures.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, reminding her that she was still human, a beautiful and uncompromising woman of shadow. But how long would it last? Was the curse going to change her fully into the majestic and elusive beast of night ? Was her children, Helena and Thomas going to be born as humans or wolf pups? How long does he have until he becomes fully a wolf? She tucked her legs in close to her chest, chin resting on her knees as she began to think about his piercing hazel eyes that saw right through her misty gray soul from the front she stepped into Wayne Manor to recuse Holly Robinson. She remembered staring into the depth of still gaze when they embraced with the fireplace, seeing all the shadows of his past trapped into the darkness of his pupils and how they suck you into the unknown abyss of his own demons.

She lifted her head up, and tilted it back as her auburn strands cascaded over her trim shoulders like drapes and she inhaled and exhaled as the throbbing dull aches subsides inside her frigid body and she got back onto the balls of her feet, wiping off the snow from her pants as she heard boots crunching behind her. She froze as her protective instincts were kicking in and positioned her body into a fighting stance, assuming it was one of the Ras al Ghul's loyal followers.

"Come on, handsome," she purred with a flippant growl. "I don't bite...much."

"Is that so?" Bruce shuffled into view with a slight swagger. "Sure you won't change your mind?" He remarked playfully, grinning.

"I can be very stubborn, you know."

Selina turned on her heel and glared at him with her piercing dark eyes, her hands folded over her chest. "I don't recall inviting you in my space?" she pursed her lips into a firm line. "What do you want?"

Bruce frowned at her response. It did little to alleviate his concerns about her. "I was worried about you... You should be resting." He approached warily, keeping a safe distance from her from where he stood looking out towards the mountains. "Are you sure you're all right?" he spoke without facing her.

She raised an eyebrow and otherwise continued an off look to the snow-topped forest, "Fine." she replied with straight-forward answer. She settled a warily gaze on him. "For your information I never rest. The only time I will is when I'm dead."

Bruce dipped his head. "No rest for the wicked..." He monologued. "We've both been a lot of things worse than dead, Selina... Even now. The rest of the world has probably forgotten us. The first time I ran away from Gotham, I was just as angry and isolated as you..."

Selina kept herself stone faced, the urges of lashing out at him was bubbling inside her gut but instead she turned her back to him and released a frustrated breath. " I don't know what's going to happen to us..are we going to stay human during the day or wolves at night or will our bodies become permanent forms of the beasts." She drooped her eyes slightly down. " I don't want to give birth to baby wolves."

"Our lives were never normal. Each passing day and night we faced challenges and hardships that molded us into the people we are... and we overcame them in the end." Bruce did his utmost to reassure her, to encourage her. "We can only face this head on like everything else life has thrown at us. If we lie down now and accept it...accept defeat. Then we'll truly lose ourselves, because that's not who we are."

Bruce approached her from behind and risked placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's not the woman I fell in love with..."

Selina turned her head slightly and met his gentle hazel eyes, feeling uncharacteristic swell build in her throat. "You would still love me even through I won't be a woman anymore?"

Bruce reached up and caressed her frozen cheek, a faint twinkle in his hazel eyes.

"Would you still love me if I wasn't a man anymore?" He responded, his expression now fierce.

Selina twisted around on her heels, catching his gaze, her gloved fingers traced over the side of his face, and wiped the blood off the sharp corner of his soft lips. She leaned in and pressed her lips over his upper lip, leaving a brief and linger warmth moist on his mouth. She wasn't good at confessions with words only actions.

Bruce kissed her back fiercely, passionately - using one free hand across her back to dip her back while the other was lost in her wavy brown locks. Moments later they parted for breath, both holding each other close, panting for breath. Bruce kept his eyes locked on her.

"Looks like we both know our answers..." Bruce growled. "Whatever happens, we'll get through this...together."


End file.
